Malaysia, Chinese Taipei qualify for World Team Cup

MATCH REPORT

Malaysia's men's team and their Captain

Malaysia and Chinese Taipei won the men’s and women’s finals at the BNP Paribas World Team Cup Asia/Oceania Qualification on Wednesday in Colombo, Sri Lanka after both winning their respective finals against Iraq and Australia 2-1.

Malaysia will now have a men’s team compete in the finals of the ITF’s flagship wheelchair tennis team event for the tenth time when the 2014 BNP Paribas World Team Cup is held in Alphen, Netherlands in May. Malaysia has qualified to play in men’s World Group II for the first time since 2011.

Chinese Taipei will also play in the women’s World Group for the fourth time and for the first time since 2006, in Alphen in May.

The women’s final was the only tie on the last day to be decided in a deciding doubles rubber and the contest followed the same pattern as the round-robin tie between second seed Chinese Taipei and top seed Australia on the opening day if competition.

Yi-Shan Wu gave Chinese Taipei the lead after earning a 63 61 win over Australia’s Janel Manns, but Sarah Calati kept Australia’s hopes of qualifying for Alphen on track when edging out Chia-Yi Lu 63 26 75. While the deciding doubles rubber in Sunday’s first round-robin tie between the two countries had gone to a championship tiebreak, Lu and Wu completed victory for Chinese Taipei in straight sets this time after beating Calati and Manns 76(2) 61.

Iraq claimed third place in the women’s event after Zainab Alwan and Shahad Ayyez secured a comfortable 3-0 win over Sri Lanka’s Anoosha Amaratunge and Umesha Alahakoon.

Malaysia earns men’s World Group II qualification

After Malaysia had beaten Iraq 3-0 in their round-robin tie on Wednesday, Iraq had more success in the final, but it was not enough to prevent Malaysia from building an unassailable 2-0 lead after the two singles rubbers.

Borhan Abu Samah’s 61 60 win over Qasim Hamdan preceded a much tougher singles rubber for Ariffin Ariffahmi, but Ariffahmi went on to defeat Hamid Hel 76(6) 62 to ensure Malaysia of victory.

Naseer Salih came in to partner Hel for the doubles rubber and the Iraqi duo earned some consolation for their country after beating Abu Samah and Ariffahmi 63 26 (10-8) in a thrilling conclusion to the third of four BNP Paribas World Team Cup regional qualification events.

The BNP Paribas World Team Cup European Qualification will take place in Antalya, Turkey on 29 March to 2 April.